1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally electronic equipment, such as computers, and, more particularly, to apparatus used during removal of electronic equipment from computer systems.
2. Background Information
Electronic systems such as computers are typically constructed in a modular fashion. Several components of a system may be housed in a chassis. For example, a chassis may contain a power supply, several printed circuit card assemblies, disk drives, and other components. Components may be installed in a chassis on slides, rails, or similar structures. Some components may slide in and out of the chassis for servicing.
In some systems, components in a chassis may be heavy and large. For example, a power supply for a computer system may weigh about 35 pounds and be about 20 inches long. In some cases, a rate of removal of a heavy component may be difficult to control. If a component is dropped as it removed from the chassis, injury to personnel or damage to the component or other equipment may result.
Some mechanisms are known for use in removing a component from a system. For example, in certain systems, a user must release a stop mechanism before a component can be removed. In some cases, a user may not be supporting the component when the stop mechanism is operated. Such mechanisms may require several dedicated parts that serve no other function in the system.
It would be beneficial to have an apparatus for controlling removal of a component from a chassis that promotes release of the mechanism while a user is supporting the component. In would further be beneficial to provide an apparatus for controlling removal of a component from a chassis using elements that serve other functions in a system.